Salsa La Cruz

A local bike shop has one Salsa La Cruz bike in my size left and at a discounted price of a $1000! I have a 2010 Kona Jake that I have been riding that is totally great but I'm really enamored by the Salsa. Especially with the disc brakes that would be great in snowy Brooklyn streets. The catch is that I'd have to sell the Jake to help pay for the Salsa.

Anybody here have a La Cruz? Wondering if it truly is a great do it all bike or if that damn color has just hypnotized me.

I raced it this past season, and it was okay as a race bike. But where it really shines is in versatility. I have a compact crank, and an 11-36 XX cassette and RD on there now. Combined with full fenders (don't underestimate the usefulness of dedicated mounts), and studded tires it can go anywhere.

I did buy a Major Jake for racing next season, but will probably end up putting at least 2x as much riding time on the LC. I take it on fire road rides, singletrack, gravel roads, paved roads, just about anywhere.

It is not the lightest CX bike, or the fastest road bike, or able to handle rugged terrain like a mountain bike, but it is a great bike.

I have 5 bikes that I really like, but the LC is my all around favorite. I tend to buy and sell bikes regularly, but I see this bike sticking around for a long time.

And on today's ride, on the sloppy roads, I was very thankful for my fenders and my disc brakes.

Sorry if this sounds too positive of a review, but I love the bike.

The only negative to me is that it is heavy, but it is a steel bike. I had it down to 22.0 lbs for racing, but it is much heavier now in the winter riding setup.

I LOVE LOVE my Salsa La Cruz. Commuted yesterday, and then raced today (removed fenders for the race), single track tomorrow (not uncommon for me to show up to mountain bike rides on it). It is my go to bike for everything. I have two sets of wheels. One has the CX tires the other has road tires. I happily take this bike on group rides. It is one bike that I would never sell, and when/if it dies I will be hunting down another....or have one custom built to the same exact specs.....although maybe stainless steel or Ti. I also use it to tow my trailer around also. Don't intend to sound a little crazy about the bike, but I truly enjoy riding this thing.

Dont hesitate

Where the idea that steel Salsas are heavy comes from i would like to know.Here is an example..My friend had a Vaya built up and weight was not a consideration in choosing parts.This bike is size XL with steel fork and BB7 discs.Weight is 12.4 kg.I have a Specialized tricross comp size L.It has ultegra,lightweight seat,mini v brakes,carbon forks and the flash lightweight Pave sl e5 wheels on it.This smaller modern bike weighs 11 kg.Even though it weighs MORE the vaya has a far better ride quality and feel.When i looked for a cx bike i rode a kona jake the snake and hated the 7005 alloy frame.Harsh and uncomfortable.Get the salsa and you will never regret it.

I have been trying to put friends over the La Cruz for a long time and they love it, but never buy. It is rather aggravating. Neat bike if you are doing light touring and nothing too race oriented. Not the most aggressive ride, but for that type of riding it doesn't need to be.

I really like what they have been doing with 700c wheels, disc brakes and steel. They have been progressive and not faddish with their material choices (Scandium and True Temper OX Platinum).

I am having a little warrantee trouble with one of their products, but I hope and trust it will be resolved in a positive manner. I have heard some good things in this regard and I am hoping it will ring true for me as well.

Rides really nice - probably would be even better with some less tank-like wheels (XT hubs with Delgado race rims). Next step is ditching the dual control levers in favor of a Paul Thumbie and Dura Ace barcon thumbshifter setup. 1x9 is great for me.

I think it's about 24 lbs as pictured - feels a bit tankish compared to my 21 lb Fat Chance singlespeed MTB. Most of that is in the rear wheel.

Those are Spec All Conditions 700x32c tires - they are a lot of fun. The Deda bar is also coming back off and I'll probably put the Woodchipper back on. I haven't found the perfect bar for me yet, but the 'Chipper is close with 30mm or so lopped off the ends.

Anyway, I'd like to find a lightweight wheelset for longer road rides. The ones it came with are no doubt bombproof, but they are also way overkill for what I need.

The new Salsa Casseroll has a very similar geometry to the La Cruz, albeit with a taller headtube and canti brakes (a plus for me). It has mounts for 3 bottle cages, front and rear fenders and racks. Clearance for tires up to 38 mm with fenders.